The Break-Up Relief
by Thexa
Summary: A story about how the break-up between Leonard and Priya went after their online chat, how Penny (and the rest of the gang) learnt about that, and how she felt then.
1. Chapter 1 : What Just Happened ?

_The break-up between Leonard and Priya was never really mentionned explicitly, we never got to see the reaction of the gang (especially Penny) to this news. I wanted to fill in the blanks and write about what we didn't get to see in the show. So basically, it's my take on what could have happened between 5 x 07 and 5 x 08. I hope you'll like it :)_

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**Chapter 1 : What Just Happened ?**

Leonard closed his laptop and took off his glasses. _"I don't believe this..."_ All this time, he was worried about being unfaithful to Priya, he chose to stop things with Alice because he just couldn't cheat on his girlfriend, and he felt really bad about what he did – even if it was only kissing. And now what ? He found out that Priya not only cheated, but on the top of it, she didn't feel any regret or guilt ! Suddenly, Leonard heard a big nose and saw the cussions flying. _"WHAT THE HELL... ?"_, he thought, his heart beating fast, breathing hard. When he realized it was Sheldon, he didn't understand right away. He was still confused by what had just happened with Priya, and now this...

_"Bazinga punk ! Now we're even !"_, said Sheldon. That's when Leonard got it, in his mind : _"Oh yeah, the pranks... What a crazy guy..."_ As Sheldon rearranged the couch, Leonard snapped out of it and yelled :_ "YOU'RE A TOTAL FREAK, YOU KNOW THAT !? I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M STAYING FRIEND WITH YOU !"_ Sheldon defended himself, calmly : _"I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested... Besides, you're just angry because you lost. Good night... loser !"_. Sheldon made a L on his forehead and went to the bathroom to wash all the painting on his face, and Leonard yelled again : _"I HOPE YOU'LL SLEEP BADLY AND HAVE A LOT OF NIGHTMARES ! CRAZY GUY !"_

He then crashed on the couch, sighing. He was angry and he didn't know who he was the maddest at : Priya for cheating on him, Sheldon for his prank at a very bad time, or himself. Himself, with his bad decisions : first wanting to sleep with Alice, then confessing to Alice about his girlfriend, and finally telling everything to Priya... who didn't even care, since she was busy sleeping with her ex-boyfriend ! _"What an idiot I am..."_, thought Leonard, his hands covering his eyes.

In her apartment, Penny heard a first yelling. It was like an animal, but it sounded human and came from across the hall. Weird. What was going on with these two again ? She then recognized Leonard's voice and heard him calling Sheldon crazy. He sounded unhappy and furious. It was unusual : ordinary, Leonard was very patient with Sheldon. Something must have happened. Curious, Penny decided to stop washing the dishes and headed to apartment 4A. She knocked and waited, but no one answered. _"Leonard, are you okay ? I'm worried... with all the yellings I heard..."_.

On his couch, Leonard heard a knock, but he didn't want to see anyone, he didn't want to move, he didn't want to talk. He didn't even have the strength to tell to the person on the other side of the door : _"Go away"_. He didn't know who it was and he didn't even want to know. He just didn't care. All he had in mind was Priya's betrayl.  
Then, he heard Penny's voice. So soft, so nice, and she sounded concerned. He couldn't resist, not to her. Yet, he still didn't want to get up, so he just said in a low voice : _"Come in..."_. He didn't look at her when she entered the room, he let his hands fall along his body, but kept his eyes, open, glued to the ceiling. He felt Penny hesitated before sitting next to him on the couch. She hadn't said a thing yet, but Leonard hadn't notice, he was totally lost in his thoughts. _'How Priya could have done something like that to me ? And, more important, how can she be so cool about it ?! Like it's not a big deal !'_

Penny heard a hurt voice from the living room. Leonard's voice : _"Come in..."_. She opened the door and found Leonard on the couch, on Sheldon's spot. Was that the problem ? The spot ? Weird, why would Leonard fight for that with Sheldon, after all these years ? Penny was confused and unsure of what to do : Leonard didn't speak, didn't look at her. She slowly closed the door and sat on the couch, studying Leonard's face. If he sounded mad earlier, now he didn't seem angry anymore, he just seemed... depressed ? Was she seeing right ?

She put her left hand on Leonard's right thigh, trying to catch his attention, but nothing happened, he still seemed in a totally different place. Penny softly said his name : _"Leonard..."_. She paused, not knowing what she should say. She wanted to ask him if he was okay, but it was obviously not the case. He was distraught.  
She tried to guess, even though she was almost sure she was wrong : _"Is it because of something Sheldon did ?"_ Leonard let a long sigh slip away. The situation wasn't comfortable : Penny was his dear friend, but she was also an old girlfriend. Leonard shook slightly his head, still looking at the ceiling, and finally spoke in a broken voice : _"Sheldon scared the hell out of me. But that's not him I'm mad at..."_ He was cut off by a : _"Well said my friend ! Good night !"_. They haven't seen Sheldon going out of the bathroom, he was speaking from the hall, and then went to his bedroom.

_"He's gone"_, Penny stated, to encourage Leonard to talk. Leonard threw his arms in the air, like he didn't know how to say what he had to tell her, and finally admitted : _"Priya cheated on me."_

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To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2 : Learning A Secret

Thanks everyone for all the kind words, it means a lot to me :) I'm planning on dragging on things a little bit... Anyway, here's the next part, enjoy !

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**Chapter 2 : Learning A Secret**

It was the first time he said that outloud since Priya confessed to him. By his side, Penny didn't know what to say or how to react. Thoughs were running in her head : _'She cheated on him ? My God, yesterday Leonard told me he wanted to marry her one day ! He must be destroyed...'_ Her hand was still on his thigh and she squeezed it to made him feel her support. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it, but she had to ask : _"How do you know ? Are you sure ?"_.

Finally, Leonard stopped looking at the ceiling and leaned his arms on his legs, taking care not to crush Penny's hand. He bent over, looking down this time, and started speaking, struggling for words : _"She... Priya... She... told me. Like that... She just... I mean... She wasn't... sad. It's like... She didn't feel guilty. You know... How can... ? I don't..." _He burried his head in his hands, and Penny felt sad for him, he didn't deserve that. So, Priya told him ? How that happened ?

Suddenly, Leonard threw his arms in the air, screaming :_ "She was SMILING, for God's sake ! __**SMILING**__ !"_ Surprised, Penny took off her hand from his leg. _"Yes, Leonard, sure, I slept with my ex-boyfriend, no it's no big deal, it happens to EVERYBODY, I messed up a little..."_ he added, mimicking her, then yelled : _"A LITTLE ? She thinks she messed up a little, can you believe that ?"_

Penny was trying to find something comforting to say, but Sheldon came in the living room at this moment : _"I don't know what you two are doing, but please I'm trying to sleep, so if you have to yell and scream, do that where I can't hear you."_ Penny was about to propose to Leonard to come to her place, but he got up and started to shout at Sheldon : _"Don't you see I'm having a hard time there ?! Don't you see I'm in the middle of a huge problem ? Don't you realize that..."_ Penny saw that Sheldon didn't understand what was going on, so she grabbed Leonard's right arm to stop him and said : _"Come on Leonard, come with me ! It's not his fault, remember ?"_ Leonard shook his head and whispered in a broken voice : _"I guess... I'm sorry... Penny, just... Leave me alone for now. I'm sorry... It's not you... It's just... I don't want to talk..."_ Without looking at her, he left the living room and went in his bedroom.

Penny sighed, with a sad look, and followed him with her eyes, while Sheldon was still standing in front of her, confused : _"I don't understand."_ Penny explained quickly : _"Priya cheated on him, he's obviously not doing well, it's not your fault."_ Sheldon was relieved : _"Oooooooooohhhhhh, good"_, then stopped and asked, puzzled : _"When you say 'cheating', you meeeeeaaaaaan..."_

Penny couldn't believe he was asking her a such question and she answered, exasperated :_ "She slept with another man, Sheldon !" _Again, Sheldon seemed happy to understand and smiled : _"Ooooooohhhhhhh, I see ! Like you and Raj ! How ironic ! Don't you think ?"_ Penny was horrified, her eyes grew wider, and she yelled : _"Noooooooo, not like me and Raj !"_  
Once again, Sheldon was confused : _"Wh... Come on, you two slept together... I got that right ?! Leonard explained it to me at the time !"_ Penny glared at Sheldon, and he stepped back, a little bit worried. Irritated, Penny clarified : _"Yes, we slept in the same bed, but we didn't have sex, got it ? Nothing happened. Priya had sex with her ex-boyfriend. That's totally different !"_  
Sheldon seemed to think, so Penny gave up : _"You know what ? I don't even know why I'm trying to explain that to you. Good night Sheldon, take care of Leonard, he's hurt."_ She left the apartment while Sheldon was still trying to figure this out. A few seconds later, his face lit up : _"Oooooooohhhh ! Yes ! I got it now ! Good, I can go back to sleep."_

In his bedroom, laying on his bed, his face in his pillow, Leonard had heard everything. At least, something good happened today. So, Penny didn't had sex with Raj, that's a good news. Why did they both acted like that happened, though ? Weird, especially from Penny. Maybe she didn't want to hurt Raj. On the other hand, it means she hurt him, Leonard.  
Anyway, that wasn't important right now. And Penny was right : it was totally different. She was single at the time, and him, Leonard, was in a serious relationship... well that's what he thought until less than an hour ago. Maybe, if he wanted to sleep with another woman, it means she wasn't the one ? Well, but he couldn't sleep with an another woman, actually, he stopped that... Even with what he learnt this night, he's glad he didn't sleep with Alice. He wasn't being honest, that's not who he is.

So, now, what's next ? Should he call back Priya ? Is everything over ? He didn't let her a chance to explain, maybe she feels bad, deep down ? What if they try to forget ? Can he give her a second chance ? Can their relationship survive this ? He's got so many questions, and so few answers. The only thing he was sure, was he had to call Priya again. They had to talk.

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TBC...


	3. Chapter 3 : The Talk

_For this part, I took inspiration from the times when Leonard was depressed over Penny. Even if he didn't love Priya as much as Penny, I still think that he was really sad by their break-up (even if we didn't see anything about that on the show)._

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**Chapter 3 : The Talk**

It was 1 AM, and Leonard felt now ready to talk with Priya. He was less emotional and had some time to think about it and prepare himself to the hard conversation and the consequences. He couldn't wait for her to call him back, he had to know where their relationship was right now.  
He returned to the living room and took his laptop. He was about to go back to his bedroom, but realized that Sheldon might hear everything. The living room wasn't safe either, because of Sheldon's Vulcan hearing. So he opened the door and sat on the first step, between their door and the elevator.

As soon as she answered his call, he knew everything would be different from now on, whatever would happen in the next minutes in their conversation. He looked at her and felt like disgusted by her. He didn't see the same girl he thought he was in love with, he saw a girl who betrayed him, and who didn't even admit it until HE confessed. Feeling this way, Leonard had the urge to close his laptop, not even wanting to speak to her, but he had to remind himself that they had to talk, it's what he wanted. She spoke first : _"Hey, Leonard, I'm glad you call, I didn't like the way our earlier conversation ended..."_ Leonard couldn't believe what he was hearing : _"Well, I'm the one who didn't like it, excuse me ! You announce me that you cheated on me with your ex-boyfriend and you seem pretty happy about that !"_

Priya stopped him : _"Leonard, wait ! There's a misunderstanding..."_ To his own surprise, Leonard hoped : _"A misunderstanding ? You didn't actually slept with him ?" _But Priya soon brought him back to earth : _"Oh no no, I slept with him, that's not I meant by misunderstanding. I meant : I thought we were on the same page, you know, we're together, but we're free to see other people from time to time... After all, we live so far away from each other ! That doesn't mean I don't care about you..."_

Leonard was stunned. That's definitely not the way he contemplated their relationship. He leaned his head against the wall and exhaled. He thought he was prepared to break up with Priya, but now he just couldn't find the words and he didn't have the strenght to end things like that, online. It was so artificial... Like unreal. He wanted to be sure. He rubbed his eyes before starting speaking : _"Priya... Can you tell me that you're not going to sleep with your ex-boyfriend again ? Can you promise me you're not going to kiss him again ? Can you assure me that you don't even WANT to kiss him ?"_

On the screen, he saw Priya raising her eyebrows, sighing. He knew immediately what her answer was going to be. His heart broke in million pieces. She hasn't even spoken yet, but he knew. He was sure. He wasn't shocked like earlier when she confessed, now he was just beyond sad. Priya saw his emotion and tried to be kind : _"It's not that easy... Look... It's just... Like Penny and you, you know. I still have feelings for him. And he's there..."_ Leonard couldn't help but yell, his voice shaking : _"Except that I didn't sleep with Penny ! I didn't sleep with anyone else, by the way, Priya !"_

"_I'm sorry Leonard"_, was all Priya could say. Leonard shook his head and said firmly : _"That's over then."_ Priya shrugged, uneasy : _"I guess... So... Goodbye, Leonard..."_ Leonard couldn't believe everything was over so quickly. Goodbye, and that's it. She is in India, he would probably never see her again. He nodded and whispered : _"Goodbye Priya"_ before slowly closing his laptop and putting it down at his feet, on the second step.  
His elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, he was trying really hard not to cry. A few tears managed to escape from his eyes and he wiped them away. What was wrong with him ? Why couldn't he keep a girl ? Wasn't he a good boyfriend ? How come she cheated so easily ? Okay, she didn't sleep with just anybody, like he almost did, the guy was her ex-boyfriend, but still. She had said it was like him and Penny... Would he have cheated if the girl had been Penny, and not Alice ? He didn't have an answer to that question.

In the apartment 4B, on the other side of the hall, Penny was up late, watching a movie on her laptop, in bed. She wasn't working until 2 PM the next day, so she could oversleep on the next morning. Suddenly, she heard Leonard's voice, he seemed tensed. _"Again ?"_, she wondered, _"he's again fighting with Sheldon ? At this hour ?"_  
Pausing the movie and listening more carefully she realized she was hearing only Leonard's voice, with pauses when no one spoke. Weird, was he talking to himself ? He could... She then heard distinctly : _"Except that I didn't sleep with Penny ! I didn't sleep with anyone else, by the way, Priya !"_ Oooooooohhhhhhhhhh, he was talking to Priya... After that, she didn't hear anything. She put her laptop on her bed, got up and went to the living room. There, she waited. Was he done speaking ? Should she go check on him ?

Ten seconds or so later, tired of wondering what was the best decision, she decided to slowly open her front door. And she saw him. He seemed so heartbroken that her own heart ached. She wanted to hug him, to made him feel loved. But he was her ex-boyfriend : could he take it the wrong way ? She slowly walked towards him, she was barefoot and wasn't making any noise, Leonard didn't seem to have noticed her. There was a little spot next to him on the step : she didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to say. What could help him ? Being there. So she just sat down next to him, not saying anything. As soon as she did that, she realized she couldn't just sit there, doing nothing, he was too in pain, he had to feel the support she wanted to give him. So she put her right arm around his neck and leaned her head on his left shoulder.

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_More to come ! :)_


	4. Chapter 4 : Feeling The Support

_Sorry if I disappoint some of you, but it's just a fill in between two episodes, so I'm not planning on getting Penny and Leonard together in this fic :) But I can promise they'll have cute moments ! Starting by this chapter..._

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**Chapter 4 : Feeling The Support**

Leonard was still lost in his thoughts, he had a lot of unanswered questions on his mind. He felt someone sitting down next to him. His head still burried in his hands, he didn't see who it was, but he knew. It could only be Penny. A simple neighbour just would have passed by, or would have made a comment. And Sheldon would definitely have made a comment.  
He didn't have the time to think about the reason why she was there, at this late (or early...) hour, because he felt an arm around his neck. Her arm. He swallowed hard and had to repeat to himself not to cry. He then felt her head on his shoulder and some of her hair were so close to his nose he could smell her shampoo. He liked that. Leonard didn't move, he kept his head in his hands and began to worry about the presence of Penny at his side : _'Why is she up so late ? How come she came in the hall ? I don't want her to see how depressed I am because of Priya. I don't want her to see me when I'm so low. I don't want her to be sad or embarrassed for me. I don't want her pity.'_

Penny chose to say nothing for a while, she knew that nothing she was thinking of saying to him was going to make him feel better right now. _"You'll find someone else"_ ? Not good at this moment. _"She's a bitch"_ ? There's a risk he wouldn't like it... _"It's not your fault"_ ? Well... What did she know ? She assumed he was totally lost, because just yesterday he was planning a future with her. She clearly remembered those words he had said to her : _"Priya and I are in love. I think we could get married someday."_ Poor Leonard...  
Thinking back of that, Penny felt a wave of affection for him, so she moved her right hand to Leonard's right shoulder and squeezed it. Suddenly, she knew what she had to tell him, she raised her head, looked at Leonard for a second, kissed him on the cheek and said : _"She didn't deserve you. You're way too good for her."_ Leonard chuckled nervously and finally removed his head from his hands. He didn't look at Penny, he kept his eyes to the ground and softly said : _"It's not... It's not like that. Apparently she had another idea of what it's like to be in a serious relationship. Or maybe she didn't consider our relationship as serious, I don't know..."_, he shrugged.

Penny was stunned : was she hearing right ? Did he just defend her ? She cheated on him, for God's sake ! And he was trying to find her excuses ? She felt the need to hug him and shake him at the same time : how can someone be so kind, too kind ? Her right hand still around his right shoulder, she took his left hand in her own left hand before saying : _"No, Leonard, seriously. You don't have to find her an excuse. When you're in a relationship with someone, you don't cheat. I mean, look ! Look how honest you have been with her ! First, you were struggling with the fact that you made out with Alice whereas you were in a relationship with another woman. Then, you couldn't sleep with Alice, if I got that right from what I've heard. And in the end, you even had the strenght to confess to your girlfriend. She, on the other side, didn't feel guilty for sleeping with her ex-boyfriend and wasn't going to tell you that she did sleep with him, anyway."_

For like he felt the thousand time of the evening, Leonard sighed. He heard what Penny just said, he was the good guy there, she didn't had to convince him of that. He always was. The questions he had deep down were way more complicated. It was very late, he was tired, he was heavy-hearted. But he was glad he wasn't alone. Penny was there. He could talk to her... Maybe she would know, since they used to date.

He decided to try to put his thoughts and feelings into words : _"Penny... I just... I... I have a lot on my mind, you know ?... And... You said earlier it was okay to talk about our love lives, even though we... well... we... you know..."_ Leonard was struggling, he didn't know how to ask his questions, and he was afraid of the answers Penny could give. She encouraged him :_ "No problem, Leonard, sweetie. Go ahead, I'm listening." _After a short silence, seeing Leonard wasn't saying anything yet, she added : _"You know, I'm not there in the middle of the night because I like sitting on stairs at almost 2 AM ! I'm there for you. To help you through this difficult time. I wasn't there the last time your relationship broke down, because, well, it was us... So this time I wanna be there for you."_

Leonard smiled, and Penny was glad she could make him smile. Leonard breathed in and looked directly in Penny's eyes for the first time of the evening (was it still the evening ? anyway...). He felt a little pinch in his heart, but find the courage the clear his throat before looking away and starting to speak : _"Okay... So... I'm just wondering... Why did she cheat ? And so easily ?... Sure, I wanted to cheat too. So, I'm wondering... Because... When... When I was with you... I never... Never... I never thought of cheating. It never crossed my mind. So... Why now ? And why did she do it ? Is it my fault ? Is it because I wasn't good enough for her ? Is it because we are so far away from each other ? Is it because she's still in love with her ex ? Is it because he's way more handsome than I am, even though I say that but I never actually saw him ? Was she only attracted to him physically ? Or was it more ? Did she love me at least a little bit ? Or was I the only one to feel something ?"_

Penny was watching him as he was talking more and more quickly. She saw he was desesperatly needing answers, she HAD to find some answers. She knew from experience that breaking up was hard, and she also knew that Leonard didn't have as much experience as she did in this area. Sheldon definitely couldn't help him. Howard and Raj weren't experienced either in term of breaking up a serious relationship. So she was all he had. He needed her help, she had to be there for him. _'My God, how did he cope when WE broke up ?'_ came to her mind, but she got quickly ride of this thought to focus on the problem he was having right now.

He had stopped talking and was looking at her expectantly. She saw in his eyes that he was confused and lost, she hated seeing him like that, she had to make him feel better. On a soft tone, and very calmly, Penny said : _"Sweetie... It's not you. It's not __**YOU**__. It's her. She obviously thinks that cheating isn't a big deal. Want a proof ? She didn't care that you kissed that girl ! Everyone is different, everyone has different values. You don't share the same. You tried to do everything that was in your power to make this relationship work. It didn't, but it's not your fault. Maybe the distance played a role, but it's also possible she would have cheated on you here, who knows ? Maybe she still has feelings for her ex, yeah... But it doesn't mean she's in love with him. It doesn't mean she loves him more than you. Anyway, it's not you. I don't know what went through her mind, but I'm certain of one thing, it's not your fault. I'm one hundred percent sure it's not you."_

Those words had a calming effect on Leonard. It's not him. Penny said so. And she had some valid points. He should have seen from the beginning that they had different values : he would have never wanted to change a thing about his girlfriend, but she tried to change so many things in him and his life... And, well, maybe she still loves her ex-boyfriend. After all, he can't say that he doesn't feel anything for Penny, still now... Or maybe Priya's just one of those women who can handle cheating and being cheated on. Who cares ? It's not him.

After a few seconds of silence, during which he thought about everything Penny had just said to him, Leonard smiled at Penny and whispered :_ "Thank you Penny."_ The next second, they were hugging each other, without even knowing who initiated the hug : they both needed it to close this difficult conversation. It was a quick hug though, and Penny was the one who got up first, looking down at Leonard and smiling : _"Good night sweetie"_ before going back to her apartment. Leonard stayed on the first step, waiting for her to close the door. He was relieved by what Penny had said to him. She's a girl, she should know ! Then it hit him : he had to properly thank her for her support. And he knew how to do so...

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TBC...


	5. Chapter 5 : The Letter

**Chapter 5 : The Letter**

Leonard was so exhausted by the day before and his eventful evening and night that he fell asleep as soon as he climbed in his bed. When his alarm clock woke him up in the morning, it took him a few minutes to remember everything that happened in the past hours. The evening with Alice. The conversation with Priya. Learning she cheated. The break-up with Priya. The conversation with Penny in the stairs. Oh yeah, that's right, he had to thank her for that. He wasn't in the mood to do anything, but he had to go to work. It wasn't a bad thing after all, this way he could keep his mind focused on something else than Priya, the break-up and her betrayl. He drove Sheldon to work and let him talk about some random stuff the whole journey. He didn't say anything, except "yeah", "sure" and "you're right", so Sheldon would leave him alone.

It was at lunch time that he saw Raj and Howard for the first time since his break-up. Weird, he saw them for the last time only yesterday, but so many things happened since then that it seemed like three or four days ago. Sheldon started speaking about a "fun fact", but Howard saw Leonard wasn't allright : he was toying with the food in his plate, not eating, his eyes looking down and his shoulders low. _"Leonard, are you okay ?"_ asked Howard, worried_. "Excuse me !"_, interrupted Sheldon _"I haven't finished talking yet ! It seems you're more interested in Leonard's totally unimportant love life than in my fascinating story about the life of Thomas Edison, that's totally beyond belief !"_

"_What's with Leonard's love life ? Does it have something to do with my sister ?"_ asked curiously Raj, before opening big eyes. _"Oh my God did you make her pregnant ? I swear you'll have to marry her in the month ! And you'll have to move to India !"_

Leonard raised his eyes from his plate and looked at Raj : _"Relax Raj... She's not pregnant. Or, if she is, it's not from me but from her ex-soon-to-be-new boyfriend"_, he added, bitter. Raj was a bit confused : _"What do you mean ?"_ Leonard opened his mouth to explain, but Sheldon was quicker and answered : _"He means that, unlike you and Penny, your sister slept for real with a man while she was in a relationship with Leonard. And, funnily, this man was her ex-boyfriend, isn't it romantic ?"_, he smiled.

Leonard gave an angry look to Sheldon and yelled : _"No, it's NOT !"_ Raj was equally angry with Sheldon : _"And dude, for your information, I totally slept with Penny too ! Don't take that away from me !"_ Sheldon shrugged : _"Well, not for real anyway. Penny explained that very clearly to me last night... You'll be happy to know that I know now the difference between sleeping with someone and having coïtus with someone."_  
Howard was totally baffled by everything he was hearing : so Priya cheated on Leonard ? Raj didn't have sex with Penny ? And Sheldon knew everything ? _"Hold on !"_ Howard said. _"Tell me if I got this right : Priya cheated on you with her ex-boyfriend ? How do you know ?" _

Leonard described his two conversations with Priya, voluntarily not mentionning Penny. When he was finished, Raj was the first to talk : _"Well, sorry dude, but I'm glad. Finally this relationship is over !" _Leonard was about to sarcastically thank him for his support, but Sheldon clapped his hands :_ "Okay, new topic ! Do you know who invented the flag of our country ?"_  
Again, Leonard wasn't listening anymore and he started thinking how to thank Penny properly. She was the only one who really listened to him, she was the only one who actually tried to make him feel better. The conversation he just had with the guys made him realize even more how lucky he was that Penny was here last night, comforting him.

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Back in his office, Leonard couldn't get his mind to work. He was only thinking about everything he had to say to Penny. So he grabbed a pen and a sheet and started to write :

"_Penny,_

_I don't know how to thank you, you can't imagine what you did for me the other night. I know you were just being you, kind and caring, but it's exactly what I needed, and only you could have made me feel lighter this night. You don't know the weight I was carrying on my shoulders that evening, in the stairs. I was feeling guilty and responsible for the failure of the relationship I had with Priya. Like I still feel guilty for the failure of our relationship because I pushed you too hard. Sorry about that, by the way."_

Should he write that ? Well... He wanted to be honest after all, and it couldn't hurt. He decided to keep this part and continued to write :

"_Then you came. Only you being there, not saying anything, helped. Because I know you weren't judging me. That felt good. And I know you empathized with me. See, I just told Raj and Howard about Priya. Raj was happy to hear we broke up... Can you believe it ? Howard didn't seem to care a lot, or maybe he just didn't know what to say, and Sheldon... well... you know. So you were - and still are - the one, the only one, that could have helped me. And you did. Everything you said was helpful. I was broken and lost, and you helped me seeing clear. You made me realize that I shouldn't be so disappointed, because Priya and I weren't meant to be. As you said, we just don't share the same values. It's something I never saw – or chose to never see. Besides, you told me that I had nothing to do with the break-up. You know me well, and you made me feel better about myself. It's a big deal._

_You're the reason I slept well last night in spite of everything._

_I'm so glad to have you as my friend._

_Thank you, Penny._

_P.S : I know you once said that I shouldn't write you a thank you letter everytime we had sex, but this time we didn't so I thought it was okay to write you this !_

_Leonard."_

He could have said much much more, but he didn't want his letter to be too long. He thought about adding something, like a gift or a flower, but he decided against it, afraid she would take it the wrong way. He read what he just wrote one more time, and put the letter in an enveloppe. He would drop it in her mailbox this evening.

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**TBC... For Penny reaction, plus Amy and Bernadette :)**


	6. Chapter 6 : Facing The Questions

**Again, thanks for the reviews :)  
**

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**Chapter 6 : Facing The Questions**

Penny opened the door of her building, holding it to Amy and Bernadette behind her. They had planned a girls' night and Bernadette was telling them the prank they played on Sheldon, with Howard and the heart condition. Amy wasn't really amused but Penny laughed : _"Oh my God I would __**so**__ have loved to see this ! His face must have been priceless at that moment !"_  
That being said, she took the key of her mailbox and opened it : there was only one letter, among a few circulars. The first thing she saw was there was no stamp on it, and she thought it was weird. Then, she saw there was only her name written on the enveloppe, and her heart skipped a bit when she recognized Leonard's writing. Amy and Bernadette noticed something was wrong because Penny was laughing, full of joy just a few seconds ago, and now she was quiet, looking at the enveloppe, like frozen.

"_What's the matter ?"_ asked Bernadette cautiously. Penny shook her head and smiled lightly : _"Nothing ! No problem. Let's go !"_ She didn't want to talk about the letter because she wanted to read it alone. Why on the earth would he write a letter to her ? It's been so long since he... Well... Sure, at the time she told him not to write a thank you letter everytime they... But now... She didn't know what to think of it and couldn't wait to open it and read it. What could be in it ?

She climbed the stairs in front of Bernadette and Amy, who were puzzled. Amy had her own idea on what was on the letter and who it was from : _"Are you afraid someone is sending you some anthrax via the mail ? Maybe an old lover ?" _Penny sighed : _"Amy, no ! Don't worry it's not that !"_ Bernadette was curious too : _"So tell us ! There's obviously something bothering you !"_

'_Oh my God they won't let it go, will they ?'_ thought Penny before replying : _"Nothing's bothering me. I was just surprised." _Amy exclaimed :_ "Oh oh I know ! You're saying you were surprised ! Is it a paycheck in advance ? Or maybe a fine ?"_ Penny rolled her eyes, no they won't let it go... _"Stop trying to guess !"_ '_And you won't guess anyway'_, she added only for her. Amy smiled at Bernadette : _"I think I'm right, there ! I'm going for a fine."_ They were almost on the fourth floor when they saw the door of 4A opening. _'Please don't let it be Leonard...' _Penny prayed silently, not wanting to run into him with his unopened letter in her hands and especially with Bernadette and Amy accompagnying her. '_Shoot, Leonard...'_

"_Hey girls !"_ he greeted, but his smile was only for Penny and it didn't go unnoticed by the two other girls who exchanged a quick glance. Penny seemed uncomfortable – she was – and she could only manage a soft : _"Hey"_. She wanted to ask him how he was after last night, but she thought the answer must be in the letter she had in her hands. Leonard remarked Penny was uneasy and he definitely saw his letter in her hands. He understood she had just found it in her mail, and maybe it was the reason of her embarrassment... or maybe it was Amy and Bernadette... or both. Anyway, he decided to be casual before leaving in the stairs : _"I forgot Sheldon's mustard, I better hurry ! See you girls !"_

Penny didn't say anything and headed to her door, dreading her two friends' reaction. It didn't take long : _"Soooooo... What was that ?"_ It was Amy's voice, half amused, half confused. Penny chose to play it innocent : _"What was what ?"_ but she knew it was too late and she would have to talk to them about last night. Damn, she didn't want to. She wanted this moment to just be between the two of them._ "Come on Penny ! We saw something happened ! Tell us !"_ smiled Bernadette. Penny opened her door, sighing. _"Okay, but it's not a big deal, you have way too much imagination."_

Bernadette and Amy sat down on Penny's couch while Penny opted for one of the arms of the couch. Penny wondered where she should start, but she was interrupted in her thoughts by Amy : _"So. Tell us. Did you two do it again ?"_ Penny opened big eyes and frowned, as if she was disgusted by what her friend just said. _"Nooooooo ! AMY !"_ she screamed, horrified. Penny saw then that the two girls were kind of disappointed. They really expected something juicy...  
_"Look... I told you, it's no big deal. It's just... Priya cheated on Leonard..."_ Bernadette seemed sorry for Leonard and grimaced : _"Poor guy..."_. Amy was more analytical and asked for more explanations : _"And how do you know that ?"_ Penny answered without thinking, her mind changing automatically a bit the truth, to protect both of them : _"I ran into him in the stairs after he just found out."_

Amy was still waiting the complete answer and encouraged Penny to continue : _"Aaaaaaaannnnnnnnnddddddddd... ?"_

Penny glared at Amy, not happy to be pushed, but she told the end of her story : _"And they broke up."_

While Bernadette gasped : _"Oh my God !"_, Amy was again impassible and carried on : _"Aaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnddddddddd... ?"_

This time, Penny got mad : _"My God Amy, will you stop that ?! I told you everything and I didn't even want to in the first place ! So stop pushing me, okay ?"_

Amy wasn't surprised by the reaction of her friend and explained calmly: _"I just think you're giving us very laconic answers. Hence, I'm sure you're hiding something from us."_

Penny was forced to lie again : _"I'm not hiding anything. He told me she cheated on him, I asked where their relationship was then, and he told me they broke up. That's it. End of the story. I didn't want to tell you because I don't think I'm the one who should break this news to you. It's affecting Leonard, not me."_

Once again, Amy was skeptical : _"Weeeellllllll... I'm not sure."_ Exasperated, Penny sighed and looked daggers at Amy while saying through her teeth : _"What now ?"_ Not impressed by Penny's anger, Amy clarified : _"It's obviously affecting you. Indirectly, sure, but still. I mean, he's your ex-boyfriend after all... and we were there when you were depressed at the start of their relationship..."_ Bernadette added, more softly : _"Yeah... What did you feel when Leonard told you that they broke up ?"_

Penny's eyes were going from Amy to Bernadette to Amy again. She was taken by surprise with Bernadette's question : _"I... I... I didn't think about that..."_ And that was the truth. She was feeling bad for Leonard all the time, she wanted to make him feel better, she wanted to make him smile. But what did she feel, **for herself** ? Nothing, at the time. Reassured by telling the truth this time, she shrugged : _"I didn't feel anything. I was just sad for him, he didn't deserve that."_ But Amy wasn't going to let it go : _"And now. How do you feel ? About the fact that your ex-boyfriend is single again ? About the fact that he's not in this relationship anymore ? About the fact that Priya is gone, and not only in a geographical way ?"_

It was way too much questions for Penny, who was still holding Leonard's letter in her hands. Fortunately, her friends didn't seem to have noticed and had dropped the letter story, as they probably didn't think there was a link between the two stories. She got up and went to her bedroom : she had to hide this letter before the girls talk about it again. Doing so, she said : _"You know what ? I'm tired. I've worked all day and I wanted to relax tonight. But apparently it's too much to ask."_

Bernadette felt immediately guilty : _"No, no, Penny, come back, we're sorry ! I promise we won't talk about Leonard and Priya anymore !" _Amy was a little bit hurt :_ "Hey, make promises for yourself !"_ Seeing the glare Bernadette gave her, Amy rectified : _"I promise I won't bother you anymore Penny !"_ and added in a whisper : _"... for tonight..."_

"_Good"_, Penny said, coming back in her living room. _"Now let's have fun."_

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**TBC for the last chapter, with Penny finally reading the letter :)**


	7. Chapter 7 : Admitting Her Relief

**Finally, here is the last chapter...**

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**Chapter 7 : Admitting Her Relief**

Amy and Bernadette left Penny's apartment around 11 PM, not mentioning Leonard (not that they didn't want to... but they had promised to give Penny a break tonight) and having totally forgotten about the mysterious letter. Penny, obviously, hadn't. As soon as she had closed the door, she ran in her bedroom and opened the first drawer of her nightstand. The letter was where she had left it, waiting for her. Penny really wanted to know what could be inside, but she savoured the last moments of uncertainty. With her right hand, she slowly touched her name written on the enveloppe. For a second, she wondered, worried : _'What if it's not from Leonard, after all ?'_ But she quickly gave up on that idea when she remembered the quick glance Leonard gave to the letter when she ran into him earlier. And it was definitely his writing.

She turned the letter : it wasn't glued, Leonard only had put the up part behind the rest. Penny slowly and carefully opened it, not wanting to ruin the enveloppe (_'Why do I even matter ?!' _she couldn't help but asking herself). There was only a sheet of paper in it. In a way, Penny was happy : it wasn't too long, she remembered his letters from when they dated and they were sooooooo much longer. On the other hand, it means Leonard hadn't much to say to her, right ? She unfolded the sheet and smiled when she saw Leonard's name at the end of it. She already knew, but now it was 100 % sure the letter was from him. She smiled again when she noticed that her name in the up part of the page was the most well written word of all the page. Whether it was because it was the first word and he was still writing slowly, or because he put an extra care to her name, she found it cute.

She took a deep breath and started to read. The first sentence sent chills down her spine, she didn't expect that. She knew at the time her words were important to him and must have been well chosen, but she didn't expect them to be THAT important and to change so many things in Leonard's evening and view of his situation. She then felt a pinch in her heart when she read the part about their own relationship. Does he apologize ? Does he take full responsability ? One day, she really should tell him that he wasn't the only one responsible... That it was mainly her, not being ready and being scared. But not right now. She didn't have the strenght to talk about it. It still hurt just thinking about it.

He then wrote about how his friends reacted, and Penny wasn't surprised. She already knew what he said about her being the only one that could have helped him, but she was glad to read it and to see he was thinking the same thing. She got to the last part of the letter and... Oh my God, he was going to make her cry... She fought really hard to hold back her tears when she read that she made him feel better about himself, and when he wrote that he slept well thanks to her.

But the tears couldn't be held anymore when she got to the sentence where he says he's glad to have her as a friend, and when he thanks her. Some tears rolled on her cheeks, it was as if she could hear him say those words, in the soft voice he uses almost only for her. Finally, she got to the P.S part and laughed slightly out loud. It definitely was ok for him to write this letter... Though he didn't have to, that's for sure. But she was pleased he did. In a way, she now felt more comfortable thinking of the next time they will see each other. This chapter was closed by the letter. They wouldn't have to talk about it again : Priya is gone, they talked, he thanked her, he feels better, end of the story.

She read the letter once again, still feeling a lump in her throat when she got to the part that made her cry earlier. She read this part more slowly, reading carefully each word, hearing him like he was actually speaking to her. She then folded the letter and put it back in the enveloppe. She got up and opened her closet. At the bottom, hidden, there was a box. The "Leonard box", as Penny called it. Penny grabbed it and put it on her bed. She quickly put the letter in the box, not looking on purpose at all the things Leonard gave to her during their relationship. She didn't want to spend time watching at all these souvenirs, once again. She knew too well everytime she was doing so, she then felt nostalgic and sad. She put the box back in its place and closed the closet.

Sitting on her bed, she remembered Bernadette's question about how she was feeling. She felt... relieved. It was the only word that came to her mind. She couldn't say she was happy, because she wasn't. Leonard had his heart broken, she couldn't be happy about that. But when she thought that Priya was now gone for good, that Leonard was single again, that he wasn't in this serious relationship anymore... Yes, she felt relieved.

It was confusing her a little bit : why this relief ? Because Priya couldn't really get along with her (even if it was better towards the end) ? Because Priya was a better girlfriend for Leonard than herself ? (that's what Amy had said anyway...) Or just because Leonard was now single ? This last thought scared her a little bit. Why would she be relieved that Leonard is single ? No. No. It can't be that. Right ? No. It probably was only the Priya thing. That they didn't really like each other and everything. Yeah. It must be that. She convinced her of that. But deep down, Penny knew exactly what really relieved her...

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**I hope you liked the ending, it can lead to more thinking from Penny, until the moment she agrees to go out again with Leonard in 5 x 13 :)**


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